Straight knitting machine



April 19, 1938.

E. J. BERGER 2,114,646

STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHI NE Filed June 10, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FZG LI-WITNESSES; INVENTOR:

Emu lflerger, v'l

. I BY April 1938. E. J. BERGER 2,114,646

STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 10, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGlTZ:

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR:

Patented Apr. 19, 1938 type; flat full fashioned knitting machines inthe stockings are knitted complete with continu- UNITE STATE PATENTOFFICE STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE Hatfield, Pa.,

Lansdale, Pa.,

Emil JrBerger,

dale Hosiery Mills, of Pennsylvania assignor to Dexa corporation Thisinvention relates to straight full fashioned stocking knitting machinesof the Cotton? and it has reference more particularly to which ous legand foot portions.

Incident to the production of a stocking blank on a machine of theportion of the 'blan upon the loops across v sort specifically referredto. the machine is brought to a stop after the leg k has been knitted,wherethe central or instep portion of the blank arelifted from the midgroup of the needles by a tr by the latter during withthe end groups ofting and pressing ofi held by the points of t ansfer point bar and heldthe knitting of heeltabs needles. After the knitof ,the heel tabs, theloops he transfer bar are restored to the instep needles, whereupon theheel tabs are swung outwardly at right angles tothe bod of the stockingand the loopsof the inner selv ge edges of such tabs imp of the needles.Final aled upon the end groups ly, the machine is again set in motion toknit the foot portion of the stock ing in direct continuation. With theline gauges palernent thereon of selvages of of yarn and needlesemployed of the light weight or at the present time; any

spacing of the .end groups chiffon in the production stockings in voguedisali'gnment or variant of needles renders difficult the impalement ofthe selvage edges of the heel tabs and often results in loop or gaping,and hence droppin in the formation of imperfect junctures uponresumption of the knitting after the impaling .The primary aim of comethe above difllculty which objective I reala step. my invention is tooverize in practice as hereinafter more fully disclosed,throughprovision of a needle gauging means in the form of a bar withgroups of points adjacent opposite ends thereof, adapted to be thrustinto the intervals of the needles to thereby definitely and evenlyspacesaid needles and the heel tabs.

between the end groups so facilitate uniform imthe loops along \theinner Another object of m invention is to provide for the guidance ofthe gauging bar such that its points are caused to enterlow in theintervals between the heel tab move to a higher level to advancement ofsaid needles; and attendant advantages will following description of the"atchine toward the Other objects appear from the tached drawings, viewin cross section 0 wherein f a flat knitting machine needles and togradually in said intervals incident bar inwardly of the ma- Fig. I is afragmentary I knitting, the

ported for horizontal 'ment in the stationary sinker bed 4. As ordinismfor actuating machine being shown in its normal or operative positionduring the knitting of the heel tabs of a stocking blank.'

' Fig. II is a view like Fig. I, showing the needle bar retracted inreadiness for the looping-of the heel tabs of the stocking blank.

Fig. III is a fragmentary illustration in plan, viewed as indic'ated bythe arrows III-III in Fig. II, with the needles of the machine and, the

bar positioned in. readiness for impalegauging the heel. tabs ment ofthe inner selvage edges of 'upon the end groups of the needles.

position in its Fig. VII is a fragmentary view of the needle bar of theknitting machine showing the usual condition of the heel tab needlespreparatory to being gauged in accordance with my invention;

and

Fig.,VIII is a theheel tab needles uniformly gauged in readiness for thelooping of t e heel tabs of the stocking blank.

convenience of exemplifying my invention is of well known constructionand adapted for the successive production of full fashioned stockingblanks B complete with the leg and foot portions in integralcontinuation. Clamped in the longitudinally extending needle bar I ofthe machine are serially arranged needles of which the mid groupdesignated 2 in Fig. III produces the instep portion A of the stockingwhile" the groups 2a beyond the ends of the mid group l are employed inthe knitting of the heel tabs T. Incident to the needles 2 and 12acooperate in a known. manner with sinkers 3 which are supinand outsliding movenarlly, the needle bar I is pivotally' connected at 5 to itslifting arm 6 so that it can be swung from the active position shown inFig. I to the an-, gular retracted position shown in Fig. II to enablelooping the inner selvage edges E (Fig. III) of the heel tabs Tpreparatory to the knitting of the foot portion of the stockings. Themechathe bar Ito move the needles in relation to the sinkersi incidentto stitch view similar to Fig. VII showing The knittingmachine hereinillustrated for I i formation has been omitted from the drawings sinceit is not particularly pertinent to my invention. The sinkers 3 aregiven their advance or thread sinking movements in the customary mannerthrough the medium of individually associated slur-cock-actuatedv jacks1, and are retracted by a catch bar 8 ina well known manner. The drawoft mechanism of the machine includes a take up reel 9 which is mountedon a longitudinally extending shaft l0, and whereto are secured straps Hwith hooks |2 at their free ends for engaging the usual draw rod l3passed through the welt W (Fig. I) of the stocking blank Y B beingknitted in the machine. As the knitting proceeds, the rod I3 is drawnrearward under the pull of the straps I while sustained by a pair oflaterally spaced horizontal rails I4 which are of angular cross sectionand which have their lateral outwardly-extending flanges 15 secured byscrews I6 to the longitudinal front rail or bed I! of the machine frame.At Hi there is shown a transfer or point bar which is arranged toreceive the fabric loops from the mid group 2 of the needles, which, asalready explained, knit the instep portion of the stocking, said baracting to hold the instep loops away from the needles 2 while the heeltabs T of the stocking blank are being knitted. The point bar I8 issuitably supported from above so that it can be moved from a normalelevated position out of the way through the dot and dash line positionshown at I80 in Fig. I to a position in which its points engage over thebeards of the mid needles 2 to receive the fabric loops from them. Afterhaving engaged the fabric loops on the mid needles 2, the bar is movedover the tops of said needles and positioned behind the latter as shownin full lines in Fig. I in which position it remains while the heel tabsare being knitted. Suitable means, not shown, is provided in the machinefor manipulating the point bar in the manner just explained, butinasmuch as this means is not directly concerned with my invention, ittoo has been purposely omitted from the drawings. After the heel tabs Tare formed and pressed off, the point bar I8 is again manipulated torestore the loops held thereby to the mid needles 2 from which saidloops were previously taken, whereupon the machine is stopped forlooping of the inner selvage edges of the heel tabs onto the needles ofthe end groups 2a.

Owing to their frailty, the needles yield easily to sidewise fiexureduring impalement of the heel tab selvages and eventually becomepermanently bent out of alignment as shown more or less exaggeratedly inFig. VII, so that very often two needles will pass through the sameselvage loop while others of the selvage loops are skipped, withconsequent formation of imperfect junctures when the knitting is resumedfor production of the stocking foot. The means which I have devised forovercoming this diificulty includes a gaugingbar 20 having adjacent itsends, groups of gauging points 2| which are adapted to be thrust intothe intervals between the needles of the two end groups 20.. As shown inFig. III, the gauging bar 20 generally resembles the topping barsordinarily used in connection with full fashioned knitting machinesexcept for the. omission of points at its center and except for lugprojections 22 at opposite ends thereof arranged to engage longitudinalguide slots 23 (Figs. IV-VI) in the upright flanges of the rails l4whereon the draw rod I3 is sustained during the knitting of thestockingleg. At their rear ends, the slots 23 in the rails H are formedwith downward recesses 24 which by coaction with the end lugs 22 of thegauging bar 20 hold the latter against accidental displacement in thenormal retracted inactive or idle position shown in Figs. I and IV. Attheir 2!; when the needle bar. is in its angularly retracted position asshown in Fig. II. The slots 23 in the bars are moreover downwardlynotched at their front ends as at so as to hold the gaugin g bar 20against displacement in its advanced position.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Let it be assumed that theheel tabs T of the stocking blank B have been formed and pressed off asin Fig. III, the instep loops restored to the mid needles 2, and theneedle bar swung back to the retracted position of Fig. II, ashereinbefore explained, in readiness for the transfer of the innerselvage edges of said tabs. With this accomplished, the gauging bar 20is advanced from its normal retracted position, i. e., moved inwardly ofthe machine along longitudinal slots 23 in the supporting rails I. Atabout the time that the gauging bar 20 reaches the inclined forward ends25 of the slots 23, its points 2| enter between the needles Zawell belowthe hooks of the latter, as shown in Fig. V. As the advance. ment of thegauging bar 20 continues, under the action of the inclines 25 at thefront ends of the slots 23, the points 2| are moved upward in theintervals between the needles of the group 211 until they finally reachthe position shown in Fig. II at right angles to said needles at ahigher level close to the beardtips of the latter. In thus movingupwardly between the needles 2a from the position of Fig. VII to that ofFig. VIII, the points 2| of the gauging bar 20 cause said needles to begradually 'flexed sidewise in one direction or the other, and when saidbar finally occupies the notches 26 at the front end of the the heeltabs T upon the needles 2a,'which operation is rendered easy by reasonof the accurate spacing of said needles so that the likelihood of loopskipping or dropping is substantially precluded.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a straight knittingmachine for producing a complete stocking blank withintegrallycontinuous leg and foot portions, a needle bar with a seriesof needles; means for receiving the fabric loops across the central orinstep portion of the stocking blank from the mid group of the needlesand holding said loops during knitting of heel tabs on the end groups ofthe needles, and for subsequently restoring the instep loops to the midneedles upon completion of the heeltabs;

and means for uniformly spacing the end groups guide'slots' 23, theneedles 2a will be definitely of the needles to facilitate impalementthereon loops across the central or instep portion of the stocking blankfrom the mid group of the needles and holding said loops during knittingof heel tabs on groups of end needles, and for subsethereof adapted tobe thrust into the intervals between the needles of the end groups, anda pair of laterally-spaced rails with longitudinal,

slots engaged by projections at opposite ends of the gauging bar,whereby the latter is supported and guided during its advancement towardthe knitting needles.

' 3. In a straight knitting machine for producing a complete stockingblank with integrally-continuous leg and foot portions'a needle bar witha" series of needles; means for receiving the fabric loops across thecentral or instep portion of the stocking blank, from the mid group oithe needles and holding said loops during the knitting of heel tabs onend groups of the needles, and for subsequently restoring the insteploops to the mid needles upon completion of the heel tabs; and gaugingmeans for definitely and evenly spacing the needles of the end groups tofacilitate impalement thereon of the selvage loops along I the inneredges of the heel tabs in preparation for the resumption of theknittingto'produce the stocking foot, said gauging means including agauging bar with groups of points adjacent opposite ends thereof adaptedtobe thrust into the intervals between the needles of the end groups,

gauging bar as aforesaid.

d. in a straight tting mace for produc ing a complete stocking a: ,--.2

continuous leg and foot portions, a needle bar with a series of needles;means for receiving the fabric loops across the central or instepportion of the stocking blank from the mid group of the nes and holdingsaid loops during knitting of heel tabs on the needles of the endgroups, and

for subsequently restoring the instep loops to the mid needles uponcompletion of the heel tabs; and

uging means for definitely and evenly spacing the needles of the endgroups to facilitate impalement thereon of the selvage loops along theinner edges of the heel tabs in preparation for the resumption of theknitting to producetthe stocking foot, said means including a gaugingbar with groups of points adjacent opposite ends thereoi'adapted to bethrust into the intervals between the needles of the end groups, and apair of laterally-spaced rails with longitudinal slots engaged byprojections at opposite ends of the gauging bar, whereby the latter issupported and guided during its advancement toward the knitting needles,said slots having downward recesses at opposite ends which coact withthe 'end proiections oi the gauging bar to hold it against accidentaldisplacement in inoperative and operatime positions.

5. In a straight knitting machine for producing a complete stockingblank with integrally-.

continuous leg and foot portions, a needle bar with a series of needles;means for receiving the fabric loops across the central or instepportion of the stocking blank from. the mid group of the needles andholding said loops during knitting of heel tabs on end groups of theneedles, and .for subsequently restoring the insteploops to the midneedles upon completion of the heel tabs; and gauging means fordefinitely and evenly spacing the needles of the end groups tofacilitate impalement thereon of the selvage loops along the inner edgesof the heel tabs in preparation for the resption of the knitting toproduce the stock-' ing foot, said means including a gauging bar withgroups of points adjacent opposite ends thereof adapted to be thrustinto the intervals between the needles of the end groups, and a pair oflaterally-spaced rails with longitudinal slots engaged by projections atopposite ends of the gauging bar whereby the latter, is supported andguided during its advancement toward the knitting needles, said slotsbeing upwardly inclined at their inner ends to cause the gauging pointsof the bar to enter low in the intervals between the heel tab needlesand to gradually move upward to a higher level in said intervalsincident to advancement oi said gauging bar as aforesaid.

